Red Plumes (2011)

cello and live electronics

Deep beneath the surface of the Pacific lie hydrothermal vents that
spew scalding water, laced with toxic minerals and gases, onto the
near-freezing ocean floor. In the pitch-black depths, giant tube
worms grow to a length of eight feet, protected from the harsh
conditions by a tough outer shell. Having no mouth and no digestive
tract, they host bacteria that convert minerals into food. The
bacteria in turn receive food from the worm’s blood-filled
plumes, which exchange carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other
compounds with the seawater. A worm has no eyes, but somehow it can
sense vibrations, which cause it to retract the plume into its shell.
Imagine that you are hearing these vibrations.

Performances:

Mira Luxion, International Computer Music Conference (ICMC),
University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, 9/28/2015

Madeleine Shapiro, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival,
CUNY Graduate Center, 4/4/2013